99 LX470, no crank, no start. (4 Viewers)

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Oct 17, 2013
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Location
Wisconsin
My 99 LX 470 wouldn't crank Saturday morning, just would get a loud single click from the engine bay. After several tries it started up the first time it actually cranked. No codes. Drove about 30 miles and parked it in my driveway, shut it off and tried starting again, no crank. Hasn't cranked since.

Some friends and I replaced the starter and starter solenoid on Sunday, buttoned everything back up and still no crank but also no loud click like we heard before. Fuses look good. I've ordered a new OEM starter relay from Toyota that arrives tomorrow morning.

Took the old starter to Advance Auto and they tested it working....

Anything else I should be checking?
 
I know its dumb, but did you try a new battery? The only time I have had these symptoms it was an old battery.
Battery is less than a year old, we tried jumping it last night with no luck.

Also replaced this weekend while I was working: Spark plugs and coil packs.
 
I had a very similar experience and found it to be a bad battery. Did you try and jump it from onther vehicle or a battery charger? I had one battery that would not let me start from a battery charger/jumper. I had to get a neighbor to jump with his truck.
 
I had a very similar experience and found it to be a bad battery. Did you try and jump it from onther vehicle or a battery charger? I had one battery that would not let me start from a battery charger/jumper. I had to get a neighbor to jump with his truck.
Used another vehicle.
 
A fairly simple circuit if you have a wiring diagram. What does your battery voltage drop to when trying to crank, what is the voltage drop on your engine ground to negative battery terminal under crank. You could bypass the relay to test.
 
Update: Had the battery tested, it was good. Friend and I tested the relay and it's good. Still no crank. Any other ideas?
 
Check all of your grounds and connections first. If you find no problem there, look at your immobilizer.
 
Ck the 20amp fuse next to the black efi relay under the hood. It my look okay, but I have chased this issue, only to find it was a simple fuse. Same truck and model as yours.
 
Ck the 20amp fuse next to the black efi relay under the hood. It my look okay, but I have chased this issue, only to find it was a simple fuse. Same truck and model as yours.
I took a 2nd look at all of the fuses under the hood, including the 20 amp next to the efi relay, this morning. All are good.

Starter relay tested good with a multimeter. Also had a friend listen to the starter relay when I turn the key and it's definitely working.

All connections and grounds double and triple checked.

To summarize:
Suddenly wouldn't crank. Assumed it was starter/starter solenoid related. Replaced starter
and starter solenoid. Also replaced spark plugs and coil packs while I was under the hood.
Battery tested good. All fuses good. Starter relay tested good.


I recorded a video this morning to better illustrate what's happening.
 
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Bad battery or battery leads. Did you test what the battery voltage drops to when you are cranking it, anything under 9v isnt good.
 
Thats how my 2002 LX acted a couple months ago - replaced battery for < $100 at Walmart.
I could charge my old battery and it would crank but overnight like in your video.
ALSO, for several weeks preceeding this total no crank, my LX took what seemed as much longer to crank - even to the point I made a posting here querying what would cause a long crank time - ~ 3 seconds.
 
It certainly looks like you are having a voltage drop when you crank, like I mentioned previously you need to do a voltage drop test on the main ground lead, Battery, and even the positive side of the starter if you are able to get to it. If all is ok, then it is either a starter or a seized engine. If you set your multimeter to DC volts, put the black cable on the positive battery terminal and put the red on the starter exciter wire and crank, if the voltage drops to below 0.5v whilst cranking your good, now do the same with the main positive supply on the starter, Black lead on + battery and red on large + starter cable, again crank and read voltage at the same time 0.5v max, then test ground by putting black cable on negative battery terminal and red on the starter casing, again crank and read 0.5v max. If all of these are good then there is nothing wrong with your trucks wiring. Voltage drop normally occurs in the battery, you probably don't have the kit to test the battery properly but again test the battery voltage under crank conditions.

If any of the voltages are out then you will have to diagnose further, but until you get these numbers it is just guessing. if you are happy with the voltages and are adamant the starter is good then I would try and turn your engine over by hand as then your looking at a seized engine.

You can throw parts at it or test it, its up to you. On high current circuits the above procedure is the only true tests that will help you pinpoint, not sure how people test there main battery cables properly other than this way, maybe someone could enlighten me on another method that I am not aware of.

Any Electrical testing in this way does require a proven good battery to be accurate.
 
Started contacts will do just a click each starting attempt and after a few tries a non worn out contact hits right and the vehicle fires right up. That's fairly common as well with age.
 
In the interest of saving some time I picked up a new Interstate battery and a starter relay from the local Toyota dealer. The old relay tested good but I'd rather be sure it's working.

At this point the following are new:
Starter
Starter solenoid
Starter relay
Battery

No change in symptoms with old or the new parts. I wasn't able to do a multimeter test on the starter due to its location and don't feel like taking off the intake manifold in the dark. I'm tight on time this week and need a working vehicle so I'm having it towed to the dealer tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for their assistance. I'll report back with what the dealer finds.
 
In the interest of saving some time I picked up a new Interstate battery and a starter relay from the local Toyota dealer. The old relay tested good but I'd rather be sure it's working.

At this point the following are new:
Starter
Starter solenoid
Starter relay
Battery

No change in symptoms with old or the new parts. I wasn't able to do a multimeter test on the starter due to its location and don't feel like taking off the intake manifold in the dark. I'm tight on time this week and need a working vehicle so I'm having it towed to the dealer tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for their assistance. I'll report back with what the dealer finds.

Good luck. Hope it is nothing major
 
Yes, got to agree the starter is in a very difficult place to test. you can test at the relay for a permanent feed and for the exciter wire, I haven't got a wiring diagram but I am sure someone posted a diagram before and I think there is a connector around by the battery, it is between the relay and starter. Worth a quick check before going to the dealer. Is there a possibility the connector was disconnected? Anyway I hope it is something simple.
 

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